Areas of England from the West Midlands to Cornwall may no
longer face temporary restrictions on water use this year, and
there is “no threat to the public water supply in these areas
this summer,” Defra said today on its website. Parts of
southeast England, East Anglia and London are still in drought
and may have water restrictions, Environment Secretary Caroline
Spelman said in the statement.

Rains that persisted in May after the wettest April on
record have “significantly increased river and reservoir
levels,” the Environment Agency said in a separate report
today. Groundwater is still low in many areas after below-average precipitation in the past two years, and the agency said
it “will keep the drought status under continuous review.”

“The recent rainfall has been good for many crops, but has
damaged others,” the Environment Agency said. “The rain has
significantly reduced the requirement for irrigation.”